FALLOUT
by FAH3
Summary: Forty years after the bombs fell, the hope of humanity lies in the hands of goofey Vault Dweller named Ron
1. Chapter 1

_After much labor and re-writing, I have finally got the first chapter to my new story up.This is also a stress relief, so please pardon the graphic stuff. I hope you like it._

_NOTE: This is a post apocalyptic story. It's rated M for strong language, adult situations, possible sex scenes, and graphic violence that would make Frank Miller proud. So read at your own discretion. If you don't like any of this, don't read it! You've been warned. I also don't own Kim Possible or the game Fallout._

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KP:

_FALLOUT_

_War. War never changes. Throughout the history of the human race, war has been waged over many things. It has been waged over love, power, and wealth. In the mid Twenty-first century, the world's resources were becoming scarce. Because of humanity's abuse toward their world, the natural resources of planet Earth were becoming scarce. The Oil Wells of the Middle East soon ran dry, and uranium was becoming more precious than gold. Instead of coming together to seek a way of helping the world, the nations began fighting over water, fossil fuels, and certain types of vegetation. England became separate governing states while the United States annexed Canada. Before anyone could even blink, the worst nightmare had come about. World War 3 had begun. In the middle of this war, martial law was declared in North America and allowed the military factions to take control of the country. _

_Fear of a nuclear holocaust drove many states to build massive structure's that would protect people against the radiation of nuclear bombs, fallout, and the war outside in the outside world. Being constructed underground, or inside massive mountains, what would soon be left of the human race took cover inside these massive structures of steel and technology. They were known as Vaults. _

_Soon, the bombs fell, eliminating the world we used to know. In two minutes, everything was ash. What was left of the technology and the human race as we knew it was safe inside the massive Vaults. Our story begins here, at Vault 13._

**

* * *

Five minutes before Ground Zero.**

Panic was what had begun. The people were running and screaming in pure terror. The alarms outside blared almost to the point to rupture the ear drums of the frightened people, letting each of them know that the nukes were on their way. The end would soon be here. People were running through the cave passage, trying to make it to safety in time. Four people, wearing cobalt blue clothes with yellow accents were ushering in people as fast as they could. In gold, the number thirteen had been printed on each of their backs. Each wore a gun belt with one pistol and two clips of ammunition for them in case things turned ugly. They were doing their best to get people inside before the computers would activate the automated systems and lock the Vault door closed. After that, they wouldn't open the massive Vault door for at least thirty years.

"HOW MANY MORE?" the eldest shouted, as he helped a woman with children into the Vault.

"Not too many. Most of the people arrived a few days ago. Most of these people here are refugees from the near by cities and counties. How much time do you think we have left?" the young man asked his superior.

A giant explosion was heard in the distance, causing the ground and the passage to shake with force. Stones became loosened and started to fall all around them and the fleeing people, screaming in fear

"We're out of time!" the old man said as his eyes grew wide with fear. "GET THEM IN NOW! THE DOORS ARE GOING TO LOCK!" the old man shouted as he saw the entrance lit with a bright light from the outside world. The other men ran inside the metal passage, making sure the last few citizens were in.

"OVERSEER, HURRY!" the young man shouted as the alarms started to sound off; signaling the door was about to close.

The middle aged man looked as part of the ceiling started to fall in larger chunks. The man still stood in the same spot until a large stone almost fell on top of his foot. The near impact seemed to jolt him out of his trance. The middle aged man realized what was going on and immediately started to bolt for the metal passageway as he heard the hydraulics prepare to close the large vault door. He wasn't that far from it. Twenty feet, ten more feet, five feet left to go! That's when a large chunk of the cave broke loose and fell on to the man's leg, crushing it as soon as it made impact.

The man let out a yell of pain as he hit the hard cave floor face first and shattered his nose. He looked at his limb that was pinned beneath the large stone and could see part of his femur piercing through the flesh like a knife through the hide of a roasted turkey. He could also see the crimson liquid that was beginning to pool around the crushed limb and knew if the bombs or the boulders didn't kill him, he would bleed to death.

"Overseer! I'm coming to help!" the young man shouted as he began to run toward him.

"NO! STOP! YOU CAN'T HELP ME, THE VAULT'S CLOSING!" the man said as he raised his hand, watching the large door beginning to roll into place.

"KEEP THOSE PEOPLE SAFE, DO WHATEVER YOU HAVE TO! YOU'RE THE OVERSEER NOW!" the man shouted as he saw the look of anguish and pain on the young man's face as the door soon hid him from view, and sealed him inside the massive structure where he and the others would be safe from the hell of the world outside.

The man looked back to the cave entrance, and could see the bright glow of another nuclear bomb hitting the ground, before the bright blast burned away his corneas.

"Good bye, son." The man said before the massive blast of intense heat filled the cave and burned away any trace of the identity the now burned skeleton used to posses.

* * *

For over forty years, the vault doors remained sealed closed as time outside kept going. Unaware of what changes had been going on, or even trying to figure out if anyone has survived. The Vault dwellers lived without worry or without a care. For a while, the Vault's were in constant contact with one another for many years. Not too soon after Vault thirteen sealed its door, they lost contact with one Vault. All contact and readings just stopped. Only three Vaults remained. After a few years, they lost contact with Vault's 12 and 11. Then the last to go off line was Vault 15. That was over ten years ago, and many suspect that Vault 13 was the only remaining Vault still in operation. If that was true, then they were the only hope for humanity that was left.

**27th of December.**

Everything was as it usually was inside the control center of Vault 13. Many operators were at their stations, making sure all systems were still nominal. To sustain the lives of thousands of people required a lot of attention to detail and knowledge of advanced technological systems. On a raised platform that sat in the center of the large control room, like Zeus on Mt. Olympus, sat the Overseer. It had been forty long years since the old man took command of the Vault, ever since the original Overseer had died. He used to be a skinny young man with an athletic build. Now he was a slightly overweight old man whose thick mane of brown hair had turned to grey. He had to force himself to grow up on the day when he assumed this seat, and it hadn't been easy.

He looked up as he saw the band of young men and women working at the consoles that were placed in different places around the room. Their faces weren't the ones he used to know. Only one tech remained that was there when the Vault went online, and she was fixing to retire. The rest of them were young men and women. He could swear he had been at the birth for over half of them. It was strange how these people he used to know as young squinting infants were now full grown Vault Dwellers. He shook his head and went back to his work. The others that were at those stations were either enjoying retirement, or had been recycled after they had died. In the Vault, nothing was wasted.

He ran a few diagnostics on the systems as he usually did, and noticed something. A warning light kept flashing in the water treatment center. The computer said it had some sort of problem, but the computer wasn't giving any specific information. It looked like it could be a failed circuit board, or a disconnected wire.

"Overseer to Bryan." The Overseer said as he activated the comm. system.

"_Bryan here, sir. What do you need?"_ the man replied.

"I've got a malfunction in the water treatment center, can you see what's going wrong?" the old man asked.

"_No problem, sir. I'm heading there now."_ The man replied.

It didn't take long to reach the water supply. It was almost in the bowels of the Vault and not giving that much light. The systems inside the halls and passageways had once been brand new pieces of equipment and technology when the Vault was first built. Now it looked more like a patch work quilt of a computer hacker in the early twenty-first century. Many wires and systems had been re-spliced or reconnected to different systems and main frames with either aluminum foil to melted and reshaped pieces of silverware. Where the young man was headed was connected to a few elaborate machines next to a window that showed the liquid that gave everyone in the Vault life.

He put the kit he was carrying down beside him and booted up the small terminal. He did a few quick commands and a few diagnostic checks, but all of them said the same thing. It couldn't find the problem for some reason. That meant he would have to open up the control panels. He pried away the old panels and saw that the circuitry was even worse than the exposed systems around him.

"I'm surprised this thing hasn't burned up yet." The young man said to himself.

He took out the small flash light and began looking. Knowing his luck, it was probably a burnt up wire that he would have to replace. As he looked about the old computer's insides, he froze in place. He saw the problem. The old water chip, the one thing that controlled all purifying procedures, was partially smoking and had black spots where heat had melted part of it.

"Okay, no problem. This thing has been repaired before and it can be done again." He said to himself.

He slowly began to separate damaged pieces from the old chip and began splicing. He felt like a surgeon performing brain surgery as he tried to prepare it. If he couldn't fix this thing, they would be royally screwed.

After one and a half hours of delicate reworking, it looked like had gotten the chip back to a working state. All that was left was one more wire and the chip would be ready for a test run.

He connected the wire, sealed the panels, and went back to the station. He booted up the computer and commanded it to do a systems check.

_Power: 100_

_Memory: 87 free space_

_Connections: Established_

_Water Chip:_

That's when the panel exploded in a shower of sparks and fire, scaring the poor technician half to death. With his training going through his head like programming, he quickly grabbed the near by fire extinguisher and doused the flames in a mist of white. After the fire was out, he shut down all power systems and began to wave away the smoke.

"_This is the Overseer, what the hell just happened down there? I've got fire alarms going across my panel in your sector."_ The old man's voice sounded over the comm. systems.

"The fire is under control, Overseer. I had to rewire the water chip and there must have been a power surge. I'm examining the damage now." The tech said as he pulled his flashlight back out and looked inside again.

What he saw made his confidence collapse and made his small twinge of fear start to flood his brain.

"Overseer, we have a problem. The Water Chip is gone. It's completely melted. There isn't anything left." The tech told him. For a little while, he was only met with static. "Overseer, how long until we can construct a new one?" he asked.

"_We can't. We don't have the resources to build one from scratch. May God help us."_ The Overseer said as he shut down the link.

Even with the millions of gallons of reserve water they had, time would now be precious. With out fresh water, the Vault would die.

**

* * *

One Month Later.**

The loud bangs echoed across the small room, causing the young man to blink almost every time he held the old weapon in his hand. He lowered the fire arm and looked at the virtual display. He gave a small goofy smile as he saw the results. Studying a little bit in anatomy had paid off as he saw two shots in what would have been a man's heart and in between his eyes.

"_Nice shooting, Stoppable. I'm impressed."_ The voice echoed in his ears.

"I've been working hard at it. Deactivate simulation." The young man said as everything in front of him went black. Ron lifted his helmet off and shook his unkempt blond hair back to its normal shape.

"How did I do, Zita?" Ron asked.

"Believe it or not Ron; you've done better than me. I can't believe I came in third place." Zita said as she read the computer screen.

"Third? _You_ came in third? Who came in first?" he asked her.

"Who do you think?" Zita asked him.

"Mankey. I never trusted that guy." Ron said to his good friend.

"Is it because his name almost sounds like Monkey?" Zita asked him.

"I'm not answering that." Ron said quickly.

When Ron was four years old, his parents showed him a classic movie they thought he would like since he liked the old Godzilla movies. They thought he would like King Kong, but it had the opposite effect. Ever since then, Ron had been terrified of anything in the ape family. His friend he had known for years, Zita Flores, tried her best to help him get over his fears but she had no luck. It seemed that Ron was doomed to be scared of monkeys for the rest of his life.

"_Attention! Attention! All trainees are to report to the Overseer at once!"_ a voice announced over the comm. System.

"This has been going on for several weeks. What do you think is going on?" Ron asked his friend.

"Don't know. Everyone has been really tight lipped lately. That's not the only thing though." Zita told him.

"Oh?"

"I'm not supposed to say anything, but I caught a glimpse of some of my mom's orders. They're fixing to start rationing water."

"What? That doesn't make any sense." Ron said to himself.

They spent the rest of the walk in silence. Two floors down and fifteen meters of glimmering metal finally brought them to the nerve center of the entire vault. In the middle of this nerve center was the raised platform of the Overseer, his aged face smiling warmly at them while his eyes seemed to look right through them. There were three other young Vault dwellers among them that stood before the Overseer. Brick Flagg, Josh Mankey, and one young man they knew from their classes named Frank Miller. Ron and Zita joined them and waited for the Overseer's words.

"I'm glad to see you could make it Mr. Stoppable and Miss Flores. As all of you know, you were selected for specific training for the past month. These tests haven't been easy for any of you, I'm sure. But it is for a good reason. A special mission of vital importance will be carried out by one of you. Out of all the testing, I have gone over all the results, and I have made my choice." The overseer said to them.

"Here's where Mankey's head gets bigger." Ron whispered to Zita, causing her to snicker.

"The one that will carry out this mission is Ronald Stoppable." The Overseer said, causing all the young people's jaws to go slack and made Ron's eyes almost bug out of his head.

"Wha?" was Ron all asked.

* * *

The Overseer waited in the conference room for Ron. In all the years he had been put in charge of the Vault, he never saw someone pass out like that before in his life. He hoped the young man was all right and didn't hurt his head when he hit the steel floor. Soon, Ron entered the room while rubbing his soar head.

"Good, you're here." The old man said.

"I think I am. Overseer, before you say anything, why did you choose me?" Ron asked him.

"Ron, you're the only one qualified. I know Mankey scored the highest, but he's too confident in himself. He thinks he can breeze through anything and relies on his weapons. I haven't just looked at your scores, I've gone over all the data about you." The Overseer told him.

"How can you do that?" Ron asked him.

"Each Vault Dweller has a chip planted in the back of their neck. It records just about everything. This is supposed to make the Medical Personnel's job easier." The Overseer said.

"Sounds more like techno stalking. That is just sick and wrong!" Ron said as he rubbed the back of his neck.

"Ron, what I need to tell you is important. You may want to sit down first." The Overseer said as he pointed to a chair. Ron sat down in the cold metal char as the Overseer took a deep breath.

"Ronald, we have a serious problem. A month ago, our water chip bit the dust. We can't build another one, and we have enough reserve water left for a maximum of two years. Frankly, we're dying. Our only hope left is for one of us to find one of the other Vaults, and salvage their chip." The Overseer said.

"You m-mean send someone _outside_ the Vault?" Ron asked him.

"Yes, Ron. That's why we had the tests and the training. We were trying to see who would most likely be able to survive outside the Vault. Ron, you're the one that has to go out there." The Overseer said and placed a hand on Ron's shoulder, trying to comfort the boy the way a grandfather would.

"How soon do I have to leave?" Ron asked as he felt enormous pressure bearing down on him.

"As soon as we're done talking. We don't have any weapons except a knife. We'll give you two flares, but that's all we have left. I have a map to Vault Fifteen. That was the last Vault that went off-line. Hopefully, it'll have a water chip. We're counting on you Ron." The old man said to him.

* * *

Ron was trying his best not to hyperventilate as he stood at the massive door. All his life, he would look at this door and wondered what was on the other side. Now he was fixing to find out and he was ready to completely piss his pants. He was told the chip in his neck would open the Vault door when he returned, so he didn't have to remember any code.

As Ron took a few cleansing breaths, he saw red lights start to flash and a small alarm start to sound. That's when a loud hiss was heard and forty year old air was released and new air blew in to the small corridor. Ron took a few steps into the corridor, adjusting to the small amount of heat that was in there. The door behind him slid close and locked itself, and the massive door in front slowly slid out of its place. Then it rolled to the side and gave Ron a view of the massive cave out front. Ron was so scared that he couldn't stop shaking. Gathering his courage and biting his lip, he walked through the short passage, and into the massive cavern. As soon as Ron crossed the threshold, the massive Vault door rolled closed and sealed itself.

The cavern was pitch black for a moment, giving Ron the sense that he was blind. After a moment, the light over the large door came on and gave the large cavern some illumination. As he looked at the giant formation of rock, he began hyperventilating. It was like something you saw in a bad dream. He could hear water drip from the stalactites and scratching along the floor. Ron knew what was at stake though and had to move on. Ron took his first step, and tripped over something.

Ron fell onto his chest and let out a slight moan. As he turned himself over, he screamed in pure terror as he saw what he tripped over. It was a skeleton with most of his clothes in tatters and burned away. It looked liked it had been there for some time and its right was leg shattered. Ron shivered as he wondered how this poor guy bought it. Ron kneeled next to the human remains and brushed away some of the dust and ash that was on the tattered clothes, and gasped when he saw the clothing. It was blue, and even though it was faded, there were the remains of a gold number 13. This guy was a Vault dweller. Ron briefly wondered if this would be him. Ron pushed the thoughts aside and began searching the remains for anything of use. The only thing he found was a gun belt with a fully loaded gun and a few spare rounds. He also found a knapsack that had five Stimpacks. Ron had seen them before in the medical bay. It was a syringe filled with red liquid that accelerated the healing process with any wound and was almost an instant cure for whatever injury a person suffered.

Maybe this was a good start. Ron slung the knapsack around his shoulder and strapped the gun belt around his waist.

He removed the gun and cocked the bullet into the chamber, The weapon was ready, but how did he know it still worked? Ron was about to move when he felt a sharp pain at his ankle. Ron jumped backwards and saw a large ugly rat looking at him. The rat began to run, seeing Ron as food. As a result of his training, Ron raised the weapon, aimed, and squeezed the trigger. A lout shot rang through out the cave as a brief puff of smoke came from the weapon, and Ron saw the rat's upper half explode in a shower of fur, blood and organs that fell to the ground like rain and covered the cavern walls in a brief splash of crimson. Ron was still shaking as he looked at the other half of the rat as its blood leaked from the ripped opening and pooled around the corpse. Ron could see the tissue of muscle and skin and hints of shattered bone and organs.

Ron turned to a stone pillar, fell and crawled a few feet, and emptied the contents of his stomach onto the smooth rocky floor. The smell was foul as he saw what was left of his breakfast sit on the dirt floor. Ron wiped his mouth with his sleeve and saw the specks of smeared red. Ron wiped his hand across his face and saw more little smears. That's when he realized that the dead rodent's blood was on his face! Ron used his sleeves to wipe away the rest of the blood and found a puddle of water that was dripping from the ceiling. He cupped a little bit of water in his hands and splashed his face with it twice. He used his shirt again to wipe his face and clean away the rest of the blood.

Ron looked at the reflection in the puddle and was satisfied when he saw his face was clear. Ron looked over his shoulder and saw that other rats had come out from their hiding places and were already tearing at what was left of the dead rat. Ron knew he was going to be sick again if he didn't get out of there fast! Ron got to his feet and bolted down the cavern. He knew he must have stepped on the tails of a few rats because he heard them shriek with pain as his feet stomped against the ground. He didn't stop until he saw something ahead of him, something bright. As he got close, he had to shield his eyes for a moment. He realized he was at the cave entrance and he was actually seeing the outside world! He could see blue sky, the real sky. White clouds, and even though it was barren, he saw the real world. He thought it was beautiful as he looked at it and felt the breeze blow on his face. He saw that the remains of a dead animal lay before the cave. He would have sworn it was a cow, but it had two heads. Maybe it was two animals?

Ron shook his head back to now. He took out the map and the small compos that he was given with it. He got his bearings and looked at the map. He knew which way he had to go, and hoped this mission was a short one. Ron stepped out of the cave and into the heat of the outside world. He took a deep breath, and started moving east, to Vault 15.

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Reviews are welcomed. And yes, I'm still working on Eastbound and Down. 


	2. Shady Sands

**Author's Note:** I'm sorry it's been so long to get this chapter up. I've had a lot going on and have been trying to write new chapters for my other stories with the time I've got. Good News, I might have some more updates soon. The bad news is that most of the new stories I was going to post will take longer than I planned. Again, I'm sorry. But anyway, here's the next chapter to Fallout. Finally!_**

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_**KP:**_

_**FALLOUT**_

_**2: **__**Shady Sands**_

**One Week Later.**

Ron knew conditions out in the wasteland weren't going to be like anything he knew inside the vault, but he didn't know they would be anything like this. The heat that bore down on top of him was almost unbearable. Hell, it _was_ unbearable. He had to remove his shirt several times and used it as a turban to keep his head cool. The only time he felt comfortable was when the sun set and the night rolled in. It was almost freezing in the night, but it was better than the blistering sun he had to endure on his journey. He had been traveling for days, and hoped he was still on the right path.

It had been a week since Ron had started on his journey and decided to sit and rest against a large rock he had found along his journey. He was so soaked with sweat that he could feel his shirt sticking to his skin, and he could swear his hair was soaking wet. As he leaned against the rock, he glanced at his surroundings. He spotted a small cactus, and decided it was better than nothing. He removed his knife, carefully placed his hand on the cactus so he would stick himself, and cut a section of it off.

Ron quickly brought the severed plant over his mouth and squeezed the liquid into his mouth. He knew certain types of cactus could cause hallucinations, but he didn't care at that moment. He couldn't stand rationing the canteen of water he had been given at Vault 13, it just wasn't enough. As he enjoyed the feeling of the liquid sliding down his throat and into his stomach, he began dreaming of the days when he would sit in the mess hall and eat all of his favorite foods. Pot Roast, Potatoes, pies, and the recipes he had discovered from one of his older neighbors. Recipes for such wonderful food that was known as Tex-Mex. Oh, it was heaven of Earth that you could put in your mouth.

He was so enthralled into his dreams that he didn't even open his eyes until his head fell backwards and hit the rock he had been leaning against. As he hissed from the pain and rubbed his soar spot as he shot up straight and opened his eyes. He was surprised that he had been dreaming for so long, that he was now watching the sun set. This was one sight he could never get tired of, no matter how harsh this world was. The blending of colors as the sun went to rest was so beautiful that words couldn't describe it. When he returned to the Vault, this was one sight he would miss the most.

As he watched the sun set, he glanced to his side when he heard something. He didn't recognize it at first, but he could almost swear that it was some kind of scratching. He glanced behind himself, but couldn't see anything. That was strange. He was turning his attention back to the sunset, when he heard it again. Ron spun around, but his eyes were able to catch something. It was a glimpse, but he saw something large duck behind one of the larger rocks. Ron quickly stood, and drew the gun from his holster. He was really wishing the guns they had in the Vault weren't simulated ones.

Ron's breathing was shaky as he looked, and waited. He didn't know what it was but it couldn't be good. Ron tried to calm himself and steady his hand as he waited. The light was fading fast, and knew he wouldn't be able to see once the sun was down.

"I know you're there, so come on out!" Ron called out to whatever was hiding from him.

What Ron made him wonder if the heat of the sun had finally gotten to him. He knew what he was seeing, but at the same time it shouldn't be. It was a giant insect. Not just any insect, but a scorpion the size of a Saint Bernard. He could make out several black orbs in its head that must be its eyes, and something below them that gave him a bad feeling that it was its mouth. The giant insect snapped its pinchers several times as it curled its tail in a tense pose and ready to strike.

Ron didn't really see a point in cursing which is why most of the time in his life he always used the terms that children came up with so that they didn't get into trouble. But while he was looking a hideous monster bug in its eyes, only one phrase fit his situation.

"Holy shit."

The giant insect let out a hideous squeal and charged Ron. Ron began to back away, but this thing was damn quick. Ron squeezed the trigger and fired two rounds at the creature. One shot pierced its back, with the other shot grazing its tail. Before Ron could squeeze of another shot, he had to quickly dodge out of the way of its tail. Ron rolled and grabbed a large stone as he came to his feet, spun, and immediately used it as a shield to block the creature's tail. The bug let out another squeal of pain as its stinger broke from the stone, freezing for a moment or two. When it turned toward Ron again, it immediately tried to attack Ron with its pinchers.

"Great, I pissed it off." Ron said as he kept backing away from it.

Ron reached down to his holster to try and get a better shot at this thing, but he realized it wasn't there. When he dodged this thing the first time, he never put it back! Ron glanced and saw his gone was about three feet behind the giant bug in front of him. Ron had to do something fast. The monster made another attack with its pinchers, trying to remove Ron's leg. Ron jumped onto one of the near by rocks and took a flying leap as the insect tried to hit him again with its broken stinger and barley missing him.

Ron made it to his gun, spun to face the charging bug, and squeezed the trigger to put a bullet through the bug's eyes; but nothing happen. Ron squeezed again, and still nothing happened. The gun had jammed!

"You've got to be kidding me!" Ron said as he looked up and saw the creature was almost on top of him as it was emitting that horrible sound.

That's when a loud gunshot rang out and its tail exploded in burst of exo-skeleton and blood, making Ron jump back in surprise and hitting his head against one of the large stones. He opened his eyes when another shot rang out and saw the area where its eyes once were was now as mashed mess of blood and the organs beneath. The creature just stood there, like it had become a statue. Then it slumped down dead, its blood pooling underneath it as its pincher and leg still shook every so often.

Then pain in Ron's head was throbbing and he could quickly feel himself loosing his ability to stay awake. Before everything went black, he saw a pair of green eyes and red hair looking over him.

"You've got to be either the biggest idiot, or the biggest klutz I've ever seen." The woman said before Ron lost consciousness.

* * *

The only thing he knew at that moment was it felt like someone had shoved the planet Mars into his head. A small groan escaped his throat as he tried to sit up and immediately felt like his skull was trying to squeeze his brain.

"Take it easy, son. You got a pretty bad bump on the head." A man said as he helped Ron sit up.

"I remember." Ron said as he opened his eyes. "Who are you?" he asked.

"I'm Razlo, the doctor around here." The man introduced.

"I'm Ron Stoppable." Ron replied as he shook the man's hand.

"That's a different name." Razlo said with a small laugh.

Ron noticed he was in the back room of some sort of adobe hut. From what he could tell, he had been laid next to three other people that looked like they were in bad shape. One thing Ron noticed was each had a spot that had swollen to almost the size of a tree stump. In the middle of each swelled bump, there was a puncture wound. The bump and area was either a deep purple to a bright red. All three were pale and in a cold sweat and mumbling something he couldn't understand.

"What's wrong with them?" Ron asked his host.

"Radscorpion stings." The man answered.

"What?"

"Radscorpions. The thing that attacked you in the dessert?"

"That's what they're called?" Ron asked as he stood. "Where did they come from?"

"The Radscorpions are just like their smaller cousins, but the massive dose of their poison causes sickness with its sting. Most of the time, death follows slowly." Razlo told him.

"How the hell did they get like that?" Ron asked as both of them walked into the front room and sat at a table that had seen much better days.

"Well, it's a long story. You see, during the war, everyone used nuclear weapons along with the latest in biological and chemical warfare. When all that stuff got mixed in the fallout, it made a bunch of things change. The land almost became shot to shit, and a couple of animals and people changed. Don't tell me your village hasn't encountered a few. They're as common around here as the heat." The man said.

"I'm - not from around here." he said, wondering how this man would act when he told him the truth.

"That much is obvious, son. Everyone knows not to hang around the Radscorpion caves unless they have a death wish or just plain stupid." Razlo said.

"So I guess it was someone with a death wish that rescued me?" Ron asked.

"Close. Just be thankful she was out there when she heard your gun shots." Razlo said to him.

Both of them turned when they heard someone knocking at the door frame at the front of the hut. The person knocking was a small girl who looked no older than twelve years old, with long chestnut hair that went down to the middle of her back.

"Is he up yet?" she asked Razlo.

"He is. Let me guess, Slim wants to talk to him?" he asked the girl.

"Please and thank you." The girl replied.

"Who's Slim?" Ron asked.

"The village leader. Joss over there will take you to him. Just don't act like an ass, and everything should go well." Razlo said as he and Ron stood up.

"Thanks for the advice." Ron said as he followed the girl out the door. "You're Joss?" he asked.

"Yup. What's your name?" Joss asked as they began walking down the dirt road.

"My name's Ron Stoppable." He said.

As they walked, Ron was able to finally get a good look at the village as the sun began to rise. The buildings looked to be made out of a combination of adobe and stone. The smaller homes were domed shape while the larger buildings were complete rectangles. They looked much like smoother, better built buildings he had seen in many of the old western and Zorro films he had seen back in the Vault.

"Nice place." Ron said.

"Yeah, if you like watching the Brahman mate and crap all day." Joss said.

"That boring, huh?" Ron asked her.

"We have a little excitement. Every so often, a few caravans from The Hub or the Boneyard come through here. Then there are the Khans." Joss said.

"The Khans?" Ron asked, wondering if he wanted to know.

"They're a gang of raiders that live not too far south from here. Usually if we just leave them alone, then they leave us alone. Then there are other times." Joss trailed off.

"I take it they don't always decide to leave you alone." Ron said.

"No. They all got drunk and raided us years ago when I was a toddler. They took my mom, and threw her back to us after they were done with her. She's buried not too far from the entrance." Joss said.

They were silent for a few minutes as Joss lead Ron to the town square. Ron felt bad for bringing up bad memories for the little girl and decided to change the subject so she wouldn't think about it.

"So, do you know anything about the guy that rescued me?" he asked.

"It wasn't a guy, it was Kim."

"Who?"

"You've never heard of Kim Possible?" Joss asked him.

"Nope."

"She's awesome! She can do anything! Last time the Khans came around here, she almost ripped their leader's nuts off before shoving the barrel of his gun down his throat. She told them to beat it or she would paint our walls with brain matter gray." Joss said in a very excited voice while Ron just raised an eye brow.

"She does sound like something." Ron said. _'Sounds like a complete psycho.'_ He thought.

"Here we are. Listen, just tell Slim the truth, and you'll be okay. He might act tough, but he's really a nice guy." Joss told him.

"How do you know?" Ron asked her.

"Because he's my dad. See you later, Ron." Joss said and walked into the building across the street from him. As Joss entered, Ron thought he saw a woman with red hair in the window. Could that have been?

Ron shook his head back into now and decided not to keep Slim waiting. Ron took a deep breath and walked in.

* * *

The room was large and spacious. It looked like a home, but also doubled as a meeting hall. Sitting at a large table in the middle of the room was a man with a large mustache, long hair tied back into a pony tail. He was wearing a simple shirt and pants, but the man had a very lean frame. It was easy to tell that this man had done a lot of work in his life just by the look of his face.

"You can have a seat if you want." The man said to Ron.

"Thanks." Ron said as he took the seat across from Slim.

"Glad to see you're awake. For a while there, we thought we were going to have to put another grave out on boot hill." Slim said.

"Thanks for helping me. You have a very nice town." Ron said, remembering his manners.

"Which is why I want to keep it that way. From the way you're dressed and act, it's obvious you're not with the Khans or the Skulls. And I doubt the Hub is starting to cater to high society. If you don't mind me asking, where are you from?" Slim asked.

"You wouldn't believe me if I told you." Ron said.

"I've seen a lot in my life, son. Try me." The older man said.

They had been hospitable to him and helped him when they didn't even know one thing about him, and he needed all the friends he could get out here. It was obvious things had changed since the Vault was first sealed, and he wasn't going to last long out here without a little help.

"I'm from a Vault west of here." Ron told him.

"A Vault?" Slim asked him.

"Yeah, They're these giant,"

"I know what they are, son. It's just that vaults are more of a modern myth than anything else round here." Slim said.

"Myth?" Ron asked, a little confused.

Slim noticed the reaction to what he had said, but also took a good look at his clothing. In the wasteland, you had to rely on recycling for just about everything. The shirt Slim wore on his back was once a blanket his wife used years ago. But the clothes Ron was wearing was made out of a fabric no one had seen in ages. Especially with the detail that was in the gold trim of it. Not to mention the way he carried himself and the way he acted spoke volumes as well.

"If you're from a Vault, then why inn God's green Earth are you out here?" Slim asked him.

"I'm looking for a water chip. The one we've used to purify our water shorted out and we don't have the resources to build another one." Ron told him.

"And you think you're going to find one out here in the wasteland?" Slim asked, thinking this kid was probably feeding him a line.

"Actually, I'm heading to Vault 15. We lost contact and think its no longer active, but their chip still may be in working order."

"Vault 15? Out of curiosity, where is it?" Slim asked as his expression quickly changed.

"To the east of here. Actually, your village is about half way in between my Vault and Vault 15." Ron said to him.

"Oh my God. No one else knows about that place." Slim said to himself.

"Huh?"

"The place you're heading is where a lot of us came from; me included." Slim said.

"Wait a minute, you're a Vault Dweller?" Ron asked, shocked to hear this piece of information.

"I haven't heard term in ages. Like I said, it was a long time ago." Slim said.

"What happened? We lost contact with your Vault and couldn't find out anything." Ron said, eagerly hoping that this man had the answers to one of his Vaults many questions of the world outside.

"I don't remember that much, kid. What I can remember is the whole place started to shake. My parents pulled me out of there like hell itself was trying to break in. I remember screams, a few shouts. Something had gone wrong, but I couldn't hear what. A few days later, my family and the others found this place.

"Shady Sands wasn't anything like it is now when my family came here. With a little know how and work, we were able to expand and build this wall to keep out the varmints that wonder around here." Slim said.

"Oh." Ron said, a little disappointed that Slim didn't have the answers he was hoping for about the Vault. "Did you ever found out what happened?" Ron asked him.

"About three years before I got married, I asked my dad about it. He said he wasn't sure either. He said that a few of them thought the Vault had been built on an unstable fault line." Slim said.

"Do you think the water chip there is in one piece?" Ron asked.

"I don't know, kid. Like I said, I was a youngster when we left that place. Younger than Joss. Anyway, I believe you for now." Slim said and stood up. "Welcome to Shady Sands." He said and held out his hand.

"Thanks, sir." Ron said and firmly shook it. "I won't stay long. I've got to head to that Vault as soon as I can." Ron said.

"Not right now you're not." Slim told him with a chuckle.

"Why not?" Ron asked him.

"Because,"

"_**PA! COME QUICK!"**_ Joss screamed from outside.

Both Ron and Slim rushed outside as fast as they could to see a bunch of the villagers had already started to form a crowd. Slim and Ron pushed their way through it as best as they could, trying to figure out what was going on. When they finally passed through, they saw someone carrying a person over their shoulders as fast as they could. The person being carried was most likely wounded or dying of thirst. Slim pushed the villagers back enough so the person could have room once they entered the gates.

The person gently set the wounded man they had been carried onto the ground with Lazlo quickly kneeling beside him. The man was jerking wildly with what looked to be foam escaping from his mouth in a torrent.

"What happened?" Lazlo asked the man's rescuer.

As an answer, the rescuer jerked his dirt covered jacket back to reveal two large stab wounds to his chest that had a large part of his combat green t-shirt caked with dried blood.

"Radscorpions." The rescuer answered, and caused Ron to look up and finally get a decent look.

The rescuer was a young woman that was no older than him, with long flowing red hair that seemed to almost be like living fire. She was wearing a pair of jeans with what looked like steel shin guards strapped to her legs. An old black leather jacket was wrapped around her with part of the left sleeve missing with an old white shirt under it. A pair of black leather gloves that were missing the fingers covered her hands as she wiped the dirt and grim from the man on her jeans. Her eyes were an olive green and her skin looked like it had been sculpted by the finest artisan. Ron was so taken by the young woman, he didn't even realize what was happening until one of the villagers accidentally shoved him.

"Can you do anything for him?" Slim asked the doctor.

"He's been hit twice, and he's already paralyzed. There's nothing I can do, Slim. He's going to be dead in about two minutes. Kim, please tell me you got the venom sack." Razlo asked the young woman.

'_That's the Kim Possible the little girl was telling me about?'_ Ron thought to himself.

"I saw him walking in the desert before he collapsed. I didn't see any bugs." Kim told him.

"Damn it to hell. Joss, get the gate guards from the night shift. Tell them we need to make another grave on boot hill." Razlo said as the jerking man stopped all of his movements and rolled his eyes into the back of his head.

As the crowd started to part, Ron was a little puzzled. He didn't know a lot about medicine. So he was wondering why Razlo wanted a venom sack, whatever that was.

"Razlo?" Ron asked as the doctor stood to his feet.

"Yeah? Oh, hi Ron." Razlo said, his voice heavy with the disappointment that he was unable to save the man.

"Why were you asking about a venom – whatever it was." Ron asked him.

"A venom sack. It's in the tail of the Radscorpions. If I can get one intact that hasn't been ruptured, I can probably make an antidote to the poison they carry. If I don't get one soon, a lot more of us are going to die." Razlo said as he started to walk off.

"So you need the whole tail?" Ron asked as the gears in his head started to turn.

"It would help. I don't know the exact location of the sack, so the whole tail would be a safe bet." Razlo said as he made his way back to his hut to look after the others.

"Well, that complicates things. HEY!" Ron called out as he ran to the woman that had brought in the poisoned man.

"Are you talking to me?" she asked him as she turned; raising a questioning eyebrow.

"You're the one that saved me last night, right?" he asked her.

"That's me. If you're here to tell me thanks, it was no big." She said.

"Not to sound ungrateful, but it's not about that." Ron said to her.

"Oh?"

"This is going to sound crazy, but do you know where the Radscorpion caves are?" he asked.

"Yeah, why?"

"I need you to take me there." Ron said and saw the questioning look that appeared on her face.

"That's doesn't sound crazy. It sounds suicidal!" Kim said and began to walk back to the adobe hut that was her home.

"Wait! I need to go there to get one of those venom sacks." Ron said as he ran in front of her to make her stop.

"Those caves are filled with dozens of those suckers. Last night, you couldn't even handle one." Kim said to him.

"Last night was dark and my gun jammed." Ron said.

"Which brings up another point. What are you going to fight them with?" Kim asked him.

"With my," Ron stopped as he padded his side and noticed he was missing something. "Where'd my gun go? AH, MAN! I left it out in the dessert, didn't I? CRAP!" Ron shouted.

"Amp it down, Ron. I've got your gun at my place. The thing needed to be cleaned and repaired like you wouldn't believe. I'd be surprised if it was able to fire anything at all." Kim told him.

"Thank God. Look, I know I seem like some kind of – buffoon to you; but, I really need your help. Your town was kind to me, and I just want to repay it. It's at least the fair thing to do." Ron told the woman in front of him sincerely, but doubted that she would help him judging from her questioning look.

"I must be crazier than you. Okay, we'll go to the caves. But if I think it's too dangerous, we leave. Got it?" she asked him.

"Sure. You're the boss, KP."

"Huh?"

"Your initials. K & P. Or do you want me to just call you Kim?" he asked her.

"KP is all right. I've just never heard anyone do that to my name before. I'll get the guns and the ammo. Wait for me by the gate." She said to him.

* * *

The cave before them rose out of the ground like a gaping, festering wound of the earth with its dirt and rocky path descending downward. Echoing from the inside of the cave were the few faint clicks of the giant insects that dwelled within. As both Kim and Ron stood before the opening, Ron took a loud gulp.

"That's them?" Ron asked her.

"Yup. Still want to go through with this?" Kim asked him.

"Honestly? No. But it wouldn't be right for me not to help your town in some way. Lead on, KP." Ron said as he cocked a round into his pistol's chamber.

"Your funeral." Kim said as she removed what looked like a modified semi automatic handgun with a large clip locked into it.

The slow decent into the large cavern was a little creepy for Ron. Both had several glow sticks that Kim had brought, and both had one cracked to light their way. The clicks were slowly growing faintly louder as they heard drips from the moisture inside the caves they moved. Ron was starting to shake, and that wasn't what he needed right now. Especially if he was fixing to use his weapon at any moment. He needed to find a way to calm down and quick. Maybe talking with his companion might loosen him up.

"So KP, did you grow up in Shady Sands?" Ron asked him.

"Why do you want to know?" she asked him as she kept her eyes and ears open for any sign of danger.

"Just curious and I'm trying to find a way not to piss myself." Ron told her.

"I didn't need that mental image. If you want to know, I don't really remember where my real home was. I wondered around with my mom and dad for awhile with a few caravans." She told him.

"What brought you to Shady Sands?"

"My dad grew up there with his brother, my uncle Slim. Him and a few of the others we traveled with heard about something dangerous and went to check it out. They never came back. So for awhile, it was just my mom, me, and my brothers Jim and Tim." She said as the path leveled off and they saw the giant cavern that looked more like the mouth of madness itself. The large stalactites seemed to lower down from the roof of the cave like horrifying teeth that would be ready to chew them up at any minute.

"This just screams bad road." Ron said as he switched the safety of his weapon off as a bad feeling in his gut began to grow. "So – will I meet your family anytime soon?" Ron asked.

"The Tweebs, maybe." Kim said.

"Tweebs?"

"My brothers are twins, and they're also dweebs in my book. So I call them Tweebs." She said as they cautiously walked further, following the clicking.

"What about your mom?" Ron asked her.

"About two years ago, she wanted to find a way to help us. She heard rumors about a place called the Brotherhood of Steel and that they had technology to help them survive the Wasteland. She went with a caravan to find them and plead her case. I don't know if she's still alive or not." Kim said.

"I'm sorry to hear that, KP. It must have been rough for you." Ron said.

"Sometimes. But I'm not one to sit and do nothing. So when I can, I do my best to help out." Kim said.

"Like fight Raiders and gangs?" Ron asked her.

"Joss has been talking again, I see. I learned a few things growing up among the caravans, like how to fight and how to handle a few weapons." Kim said, shrugging it off like it was nothing.

"From the way Joss talks about you, it practically sounds like you're saving the-"

_**BLAM!**_

"world?" Ron squeaked as his ears rang from the loud gun shot. He looked at the direction she had fired, cracking another glow stick and saw a twitching Radscorpion with a gaping hole in what used to be its face. "Good shot." Ron said.

"No big." She said with a smirk as she glanced at Ron.

She saw the look on his face. It was cold and unreadable. Something wasn't right. When he turned fully toward her and raised his gun to her face, she took aim and had her finger on the finger as she began to calculate when to dodge his bullet.

"GET DOWN!" Ron shouted at her.

Kim instantly dropped to the stone floor as two shots echoed across the cavern, making the clicks louder and faster. When she stood and looked behind herself, she saw a Radscorpion with two smoking holes in it's body as it collapsed into a heap. As a reward for saving her life, she punched him hard in the shoulder.

"What was that for?" he asked her.

"You could have said something!" she shouted at him.

"I did say something!"

"You know what I mean!" she shouted back at him.

Both heard the clicking multiply and heard it growing closer. They knew the rest of the cave's occupants weren't happy about the noise or the unwelcomed guests.

"If we scream and run, they'll still attack people?" Ron asked her.

"Oh yeah." Kim said.

"And if we kill them all?" Ron asked.

"And smash the larva? Problem solved." Kim said to him.

Ron checked his clip, checked the bag he kept the spare ammo in, and took a deep breath.

"Just call me the exterminator." Ron said as he saw a few more bugs coming there way with their pinchers snapping.

"Then make your shots count, bug boy." Kim said and took aim.

"Hasta La Vesta, baby." Ron said in a deep voice as he aimed and began to open fire.

* * *

Razlo was dabbing the forehead of one of the poisoned villagers, and shook his head as the man mumbled in his delirium. The people who had been attacked by the damn bugs were getting worse. Paralysis would kick in, and then a slow death. He wished he could do more, but there was nothing. He hated feeling so helpless right now. What was he going to do. He knew most of these people, and even delivered their children. This was no way to die.

"Merry Christmas, Doc." A voice said before dropping a large burlap sack in front of him.

"Ron? What's this?" Razlo asked as he untied the bag. The smell from was worst than the Brahman crap on a hot summer day. When he opened it and looked in, he couldn't help but gasp at what he saw. In the bag had to at least be ten whole tails from Radscorpions. From what it looked like, the tails had been cut off at the root and were still dripping with blood. "H-how did you do this?" Razlo asked him.

"Me and KP decided to drop by the caves and say thanks to the bugs for hurting so many people." Ron said.

"By putting a slug in the head of every last one of them." Kim said as removed her jacket and grimaced at the smell of Radscorpion blood and other fluids that had come from their corpses.

"You – you mean you destroyed the nest?" Razlo asked, unable to believe his own ears.

"Note serious face. Also the fact that our clothes need a good wash. Eeewww." Ron said as he saw the multiple blood spatters on his blue uniform. "Can you make an antidote now?" Ron asked him.

"You bet your ass I can. Thank you so much. HONEY! GET ME SLIM!" Razlo shouted as he ran to another part of his hut while Kim and Ron left the hut and watched the sun begin to set.

"Thanks again for helping." Ron said.

"I should be thanking you. I couldn't have done that by myself." Kim said, making Ron blush a little bit. "So where are you going to go?" Kim asked.

"After I get this washed and a few supplies? I'll be heading east again." He said to her.

"Why East? There isn't anything out that way." Kim said to him.

"I've got to check out Vault 15 if I want to save my Vault." Ron said to her.

"Vault?" Kim asked him, unable to believe what he just said.

As the last minutes of the day slowly passed with the setting sun, Ron told Kim his story. From his training, the water chip, and when she rescued him in the dessert. Ron didn't leave out a single detail. He didn't know why, but he felt a strange connection with Kim. It was as if they had known each other before. Perhaps in another time, or in another life. By the time Ron finished his tale, Kim still wore a look of disbelief. Growing up in the vast wasteland, you hear of many things. Strange mutants, attacks by ruthless gangs, even some of the tales of normal life in the Hub or the Boneyard. The stories of the Vaults though were that of Fairy Tales. But to discover that they were real seemed to open parts of Kim's mind to possibilities she had long forgotten about.

"So everything in there, it's all electric? I mean, you don't have to worry about droughts or wondering if you'll live long enough to see the next day?" Kim asked him, captivated by his story.

"No. Frankly, some of us get a little bored every so often. Now I'm starting to think I took it for granted. I just hope I can find that water chip though." Ron said to her.

"What happens if you can't?" Kim asked him.

"I don't know. The Vault will die, and everyone won't have a choice but to come out here. Most of them probably wouldn't survive out here. Let alone those damn bugs. We've been cut off from everything." Ron said.

"Talk about living a sheltered life." Kim said.

"You don't know how sheltered." Ron said as he replayed everything that had happened to him since he came out here.

"Excuse me?" Slim asked, making both Kim and Ron stand from their spot. "Razlo just finished the cure for the Radscorpion poison. He wanted you to have some, in case you had another run in." Slim said and handed Ron a small jar with a leather cover tied around the opening.

The liquid inside reminded Ron of the Hawaiian Punch he used to drink with his friends back in the vault. A small smile graced his lips at the memory. He was fixing to pocket the antitoxin when he remembered all the sick people back at Razlo's hut. All those who were so sick. He also remembered that poor man that had died that morning.

"Tell Razlo to give it to the others. They need it more than I do." Ron told Slim and handed him back the jar.

"Are you sure?" Slim asked him.

"Yeah, I'm sure. Maybe you can tell others about it. I'm sure I gave Razlo more than enough Scorpion tales." Ron told him.

"Thank you, Ron. For everything. If this place had more people like you in it, maybe we could have prevented that war." Slim said and shook Ron's hand.

As Slim walked back to Razlo's hut, Kim turned to Ron with something on her mind. "How soon are you leaving?" she asked him.

"Probably at sun rise. The sooner I get to Vault 15, the better." Ron said to her as he stretched.

"Do you mind a friend tagging along?" Kim asked him.

"What?"

"You are thick headed. I'm asking if I can come with you." Kim said to him.

"What about your brothers?" Ron asked her.

"Slim can take care of them. He did a good job with me. Besides, I want to see what a real Vault looks like. Also, you need more work with handling a gun." Kim told him.

"I thought I did well back at the caves." Ron said, acting offended.

"You missed three out of five, and your pants fell down." She said.

"That was a wardrobe malfunction. And I did shoot the bugs I missed. Eventually." Ron said and saw the red headed woman fighting back a laugh. "Okay, I need work. I guess you could teach me along the way." Ron said to her.

"Good. I let Slim know, and we'll leave at dawn." She told him.

"Why so early?"

"Because we're going to have to cover as much ground as possible before that sun rises." Kim told him as she walked back to her place.

Ron thought about what his journey might be like with her tagging along and began to smile. She was a good person and he enjoyed her company. And he was sure the Overseer would let her stay in the Vault. She could inform him about what's going on. And maybe – stop thinking that, Ron! She's practically an Amazon Goddess compared to you. Still, it would be nice to have her along.

"Booyeah!" Ron said to himself before heading to Slim's to see if he could crash there for the night.


	3. Vault 15

**_Author's Note(s):_** Sorry this one isn't longer or has as much action. But I needed to get this oen up before I can get to what happens in the next one. BTW; /Check out Classic Cowboy's sequel to his story The Batman: The Dark Knight.**_

* * *

_**

**_KP:_**

_**Fallout**_

_**3: Vault 15**_

**Three Days Later.**

The heat of the sun beat down on the two travelers as the tried to cross the hot wasteland. The barren ground was almost hot enough ti burn their feet through their shoes as the stepped across shattered foundations and old rocks. The rag Ron had been using to wipe the sweat away from his face was so completely soaked through that he had to wring it dry. Kim meanwhile seemed to be handling the heat just fine. He guessed it was from growing up in this wasteland all her life. He personally couldn't stand it out here and would be glad when he could return to the Vault and enjoy his soft bed again.

He glanced at the map again and checked the compass as he surveyed the area around him. All he saw was nothing but more dessert as the hot wind blew in his face. This didn't make any sense at all. According to the map, they were standing over Vault 15 right now. There should be some sign of the entrance somewhere around here. An opening at the side of the mountain in front of him, almost like Vault 13. But the big question was where the hell was it? He didn't see a cave opening or anything else, just barren dessert terrain. What the hell?

"Are we there yet?" Kim asked him.

"That's what sucks. I think we are." Ron said.

"Then isn't there supposed to be a big door, like you told me?" Kim asked him.

"There is. I just don't know where." Ron said as he continued walking.

"Maybe we're not there yet after all." Kim said as she began to follow again.

"No such luck. According to this map, we're here."

"How can you be so sure?"

"Because according to this map I've got, the Vault is supposed to be at the base of a mountain. And from what I can tell, this is that mountain." Ron said as he looked at the map and the large mountain in front of them.

"Maybe it's on the other side." Kim said.

"Maybe. This is just aggravating. Now I know how all my friends felt when I wouldn't shut up about the Naco." Ron said as they began to climb the hill in front of them.

"What's a Naco?" Kim asked.

"It's a food I created back at the Vault. A taco combined with the tasty and oh so spicy nacho. One of my hobbies is cooking." Ron told her.

"Are you any good?"

"Let me just put it this way. When the Vault's chef threatens you to stay out of the kitchen so he doesn't loose his job, that's saying something." Ron said as Kim chuckled.

"Then how about you prove it when we make camp again?"

"I'll think about it."

As they reached the top of the hill, Kim saw something very strange. At least, it wasn't supposed to be out in the middle of nowhere.

"KP, are there any villages around here?" Ron asked.

"Not that I know of." Kim said as she glanced the terrain with him and stopped when she looked at something that was rather odd. "Then why would someone put an outhouse in the middle of no where?" Kim asked.

Ron looked where she was staring, and raised a questioning eyebrow. There was a large metal shed standing below them. There was no sign of people, or no sign of anything else around it. It looked it was made out of sheet metal, but Ron couldn't think of any real reason why it should be there.

"Do you think we should go check it out?" Ron asked his traveling companion.

"If nothing else, we could use the shed for cover in case of a sand storm. But if there's a skeleton on the pot, you owe me a drink." Kim said as they began walking down the steep hill.

It didn't take that long for them to reach the small structure. The thin sheets of metal it was composed of had large spots of rust all over it, with a few holes here and there that looked like they were made by bullets. The thing had obviously been used for target practice several times in the past. The small door creaked with age as it slowly opened and closed in the breeze with a bad smell coming from the inside of it.

"It smells like someone used it, doesn't it?" Ron asked as they examined it.

"It's still weird to find this here. You'd think this thing would have been blown down by the wind storms alone." Kim said as she took a look at its base.

"Well, we might as well take a look inside." Ron said.

"Are you sure about that? The way this thing smells,"

"Kim, we're in the middle of no where. What could we find in here that's dangerous?" Ron asked as he opened the door and screamed.

Ron quickly leapt out of the way and fell into the dirt as a large animal that was the size of a small pig ran out from the shed and off into the dessert. The fur on the thing was filthy and matted together, and it looked like it had a few whiskers on – a snout?

"What was that thing?" Ron asked.

"A pig rat." Kim said.

"Huh?"

"A mutated rat." Kim said as she helped Ron back onto his feet. "Bugs and cattle weren't the only things that got screwed with all that crap form the war. Most of them stay in the mountains where they can find food. That little guy must have wondered off and got stuck in there." Kim said as Ron glanced back into the shed.

"Or maybe he crawled out of there." Ron said as he pointed to something inside the shed.

Kim looked into the shed and saw a cement floor with a large circular opening in the center of it. Ron walked closer to the whole and examined it. There was writing engraved around the hole which read 'CAUTION WHEN CLIMBING.'

"What is it?" Kim asked as she knelt next to Ron.

"It looks like a sewer entrance. I can see a few iron bars for steps, but the passage is too dark. I can't see any further. Who knows how deep this thing is." Ron said.

"Maybe this will help." Kim said as she took a flare out of her pack and set it off. She dropped the flare down the hole, giving the tunnel brief illumination as it fell until it finally hit the bottom. "It looks like a steep drop. Maybe twenty feet deep."

"No wonder I couldn't find an entrance. They kept it hid." Ron said as he slapped himself in the head. "Ladies first?" he asked her.

"You wish." Kim said to him with a smirk.

"You're mean, you know that?" Ron said as he began to climb down the built in ladder that was in the hole.

"No, I'm just not that stupid." She said as she began to follow him.

* * *

The cavern below was small at first. It was a large as one of the huts back in Shady Sands. Ron ignited another flare as they ventured onward into the deeper areas. As they moved onward, they noticed that the passage way began to grow wider and wider in size. It wasn't until Kim ignited another flare that they saw the size of the cavern was now almost as wide as the Sistine Chapel. The passage had led the way into an underground cavern with what looked like a naturally formed cistern. Ron could actually hear the water in it as a few drops of moisture fell from the stalagmites.

"I have to hand it to whoever built this thing, they knew how to hide it." Kim said to herself.

"Wait until you see the Vault itself." Ron said to her and jumped when a single shot rung out. Ron quickly turned and saw that Kim had just shot another mutant rat.

"Warn me next time!" Ron said.

"Trust me Ron, most of these things have rabies or something worse. The last thing you want is to get bitten by one of these little buggers. You see it, you shoot it." Kim said as she kicked the lifeless rodent.

"Is it another pig rat?" Ron asked her, and began to worry when he heard her curse under her breath.

"We might be in deep shit. This isn't a pig rat at all; it's just a baby." Kim said to him and readied her gun.

"A baby?" Ron asked and looked at the dead animal. As he looked, he noticed that it was a little larger than the creature they had encountered in the shed, and its features were different in many ways. The body was longer, as was the snout. The snout itself was also slimmer with a row of jagged teeth that hadn't fully grown into place. If nothing else, it looked like a giant cross between a rat and a possum. But there was something else that was making Ron nervous as he glanced back up at Kim. "If this is a baby, then where's mama at?"

Both of their eyes widened when they heard the low growl coming from the side of the cavern. Both turned their heads and saw that the light of their flares was reflecting from two orbs that were in the shadows.

"I just had to ask." Ron whispered to himself.

With another thunderous growl, the creature charged and revealed itself in the light. Ron and Kim quickly darted in opposite directions as the large creature ran past them and landed into the cistern. Ron turned and received a good look at it as it struggled to pull itself out of the water and back onto the ground. Its large body had to at least be the size of a Kodiak bear, with the dirty yellowed claws that extended from each of its feet to be three times as big. Its thick brown hair was matted and course as it shook itself dry. As it looked at both Ron and Kim again, a vicious snarl crossed its scarred face as it exposed a row of sharp jagged teeth that looked more like giant needles. Its eyes were cold and black as it looked at each of them. Its ears were small and at the side of its head, barley even noticeable at all.

"Don't just stand there, shoot the damn thing!" Kim shouted and opened fire.

Ron pulled his gun free from the holster and opened fired, causing the creature to scream as it reared onto its hind legs. As it slammed back down onto all fours, it began to blindly charge as it roared in pain from the pieces of hot led burrowing into its thick hyde. Kim tried to get out of the monster's way in time, but was slammed into the cavern wall as the giant rodent ran by. Rom rushed to her and slid to a stop next to her unconscious form. He placed to fingers against her jugular and sighed in relief when he felt a strong pulse.

"Ron," she whispered as she tried to open her eyes.

"What?"

"Be-hind y-you." Kim said to him.

Ron turned to see the large rat was charging at him with its pink and yellow stained teeth bared and its drool dripping from its jaws. Ron fell backwards onto his butt as he lifted his gun and took aim. In that moment, it was as if everything began to slow down in front of him as he focused the gun barrel. His fear was rushing through him faster than an ocean current as he saw the creature running at him full speed. Pushing through the fear in his mind, he focused his attention, aimed, and squeezed the trigger.

Everything returned to normal and abruptly ending the state Ron had been in when he saw the monster scream as a splash of blood and bone erupted from the back of its head. The massive monster fell and began to tumble with an awful roar, making Ron act quickly as he pulled himself and Kim out of the way as it tumbled to a stop in a large cloud of dirt. Ron didn't move or risk doing anything for several minutes as he watched the creature lay on its side, not moving or breathing. He didn't know how long he had been sitting there until he began to feel Kim fully waking up in his arms.

"Did you get it?" she asked him as she rubbed the back of her head.

"I don't know. I think I actually did." Ron said.

Kim sat up and saw the lifeless giant rat. "Wow." Kim said as she slowly stood and walked to the other side of the creature. She could see the several bullet wounds they had put in the creature's body. When she reached the head, her eyes widened as she leaned in for a closer look. "Holy SHIT!"

"What's wrong?" Ron asked as he got to his feet and walked around the rat's corpse.

"Your kill shot. You nailed the sucker right in between its eyes!" Kim said, unable to believe what she was seeing.

"You're kidding." Ron said and took a look for himself. As sure as he was breathing, there was a bullet hole burrowed in-between the rat's eyes with a trail of blood dripping onto the floor.

"How did I pull off a shot like that?" he asked himself.

"Good question. You can't hit a wall that's two feet in front of you, and you nailed this sucker perfectly. Are you holding back on me?"

"No. I-it was almost like I – I was in the zone." Ron said as he thought about it.

"Zone? What zone?"

"Back at the Vault, me and the others used to play video games. When ever I really got into the game, it's like my complete focus and attention was on the game. My friends said that I was in my zone." Ron explained.

"Maybe you should get into it more often." Kim said as she popped another flare. "I take it that we're at the entrance?" Kim asked.

Ron looked upward and saw the entrance to Vault 15 standing in front of them. The door that should be covering it was lying on the ground in front of them, knocked out of its place ages ago. There were several dents and scratches in it as the number fifteen stood boldly in the middle of it. From what Ron could see, the rat had been hiding in the Vault entrance when it had attacked them.

"That would be it." Ron said as they marched forward.

As they entered the room, the first smell to hit them was the droppings from all the various creatures that had made a home inside the Vault. The room they were in was a small infirmary and quarantine room. They had it in case people from the outside entered the Vault. But it was obvious it hadn't been used in years. The glass to the quarantine room was thick with dirt and cracked while the walls themselves were completely covered in rust and various cave and mold growth. If it wasn't for the fact that Kim had a lit flare, Ron would have thought they were still in another part of the cave.

"This is what a Vault looks like?" Kim asked as she saw the state of the room.

"It's not supposed to be in this shape. What happened here?" Ron asked as he walked to a computer monitor. He tapped it several times, but didn't even get so much as a flicker of static. "The power's gone. Something major must have happened to knock out the power core." Ron said as he walked to the elevator doors.

"What kind of power source did it have?" Kim asked him.

"A few Vaults had nuclear power cores. But Vault thirteen and this one had a fusion reactor. Both were prototypes." Ron said as he forced the elevator doors open and revealed the empty shaft.

"I think I found the elevator." Ron said as he looked down.

"Where is it?"

"At the bottom floor. Where we need to be." Ron said as Kim joined him.

"How do we get down there now?" Ron asked himself.

"I've got some rope." Kim said as she slung her pack off from her shoulders and opened it. "Good thing I decided to come prepared." Kim said as she removed the large bundle and tied one end to a very large and thick pipe to anchor it. "Of course, being a gentleman, you wouldn't mind going down first to make sure its clear."

"Of course." Ron said as he threw the rest of the rope down the shaft.

* * *

What was left of the elevator was nothing but a pile of scrap. Jagged shards of metal of various sized jutted into the air, threatening to pierce anyone who wasn't careful. Slowly and carefully, Ron was able to find solid footing amongst the rubble and force the elevator doors open. The air that assaulted him was fowl as well as stale. Trying his best not to gag, he signaled Kim to follow him down. Ron looked down and discovered a very grizzly sight. There were several crushed and broken decaying bodies lying in between large pieces of the elevator. Who ever was in the elevator when it fell obviously didn't make it out in time. He could see severed limbs and shards of bone jutting out from various parts of the corpse's bodies. Shaking his head and forcing himself to look up, Ron drew his gun and carefully began to step into the command center.

The command center was in the same state as the room that was now several stories above them. There were several piles of what seemed to be droppings or stones, as well as various moss, mold, and other plants growing through the cracks and control panels. The beauty, wonder, and majesty of this Vault had disappeared long, long ago. These Vaults were supposed to be a testament to the wonders of technology humans could achieve. Now, it looked like it belonged in a scrap yard. It was almost depressing to see the state it had fallen into.

"Ron!"

"What?" he asked, seeing Kim had wondered into a near by break room.

"There are several lockers in here. Do you think there may be anything useful in them?" Kim asked him.

"Maybe. If there is, it's obvious no one's coming back for them." Ron said in a sad tone of voice. The Overseer was right. Whatever had happened here was bad. "Just take what we need."

As Kim began popping the old and rusted lockers open, Ron began making his way to the main control center. His Vault had made several alterations over the years, and had relocated the computers for the water purification systems. As their population increased, there were some systems that needed to have more memory and processors. So it seemed natural to relocate the system for the water supply near the actual water tanks. But if this place was still had the layout it was given when it came online, then water chip would be in the main control room.

Ron had to tip toe at what looked like to be several normal rats in several states of decay. He swore he would never watch another horror movie again after this was over. When Ron finally came to the entrance of the control room, his heart as well as his face just collapsed in on itself. This wasn't good.

"I found a couple of stimpacks, which should still be good. These things don't expire for almost two-hundred years. I also found – Ron, what is it?" Kim asked him when she saw the look in his face.

"I came here for nothing." Ron mumbled.

"What do you mean? All we gotta do is – shit." Kim said when she saw what was in front of them.

Blocking their path was a giant cave in. A wall of rock and rubble was completely blocking their path with not even so much as an opening. The roof and side of the walls had been ripped away, showing the origin of the rock slide. You didn't have to be a genius to guess that the rock slide may be completely filling the room they needed to be in.

"The chip was supposed to be in there. Wasn't it?" Kim asked him.

"Yeah. It was." Ron said solemnly.

"Do you think anyone got out of there in time?" Kim asked him.

"Not all of them." Ron said to her.

Kim noticed his gaze had been cast downward when she glanced at him. Gazing in the same direction, she let out a small curse at what was on the floor. There were several pieces of what used to be human bodies sticking out from the ruble. Some looked like the rocks had fallen on top of them while they were escaping. The top halves of a few of them could be seen, while only limbs were sticking out with others. She could even see the remains of a crushed skull around one large stone. All the bodies almost looked like their skin had been turned into a horrible kind of beef jerky. It was almost sickening to see the few that still had heads looking at them with empty eye sockets, their faces forever frozen in a look of utter pain and horror.

"What happened to them? These Vaults were made to withstand a nuclear blast." Ron said to himself as he leaned against a wall. "My Vault's dead. This was our only hope." Ron said.

"Ron, there still may be a chance." Kim said to him

"How, KP? A Vault's the only thing I know of that could have a water purifying chip."

"Ron, one thing about people in the wasteland is that just about all of them are scavengers. Most people purposely scrounge the city ruins and try to fix any machinery they find. Hell, the money you can get from a working toaster is enough to buy a farm." Kim told him.

"That's a very big if, Kim."

"Hey, it's worth a shot." Kim said to him. "By the way, I found you something." Kim said as she revealed an old black leather jacket, but it was still in pretty good shape. "I also found some old jeans and a shirt. I guess these people didn't like wearing your uniforms."

"You want me to wear that?" Ron asked her.

"Ron, you stick out like a soar thumb in that getup of yours. A raider would probably kill you just for a sleeve. With these clothes, you'll blend in more." Kim told him.

"Okay. Just don't call me the Road Warrior." Ron said as he took the jacket.

"Who?"

"Never mind." Ron said as he tried on the jacket and saw that it was a snug fit. "So where should we go to first?"

"Well, we need to stock up on some ammo and a few supplies. The nearest place is Junktown."

"Is it nice?" Ron asked her.

"It's livable. Besides, Uncle Slim has an old friend there that may give us a place to stay while we're there." Kim said as they headed back to the elevator.

"Then I guess it's on to Junktown."

* * *

The next chapter should have a lot more action, and a couple of gory gunfight scenes.


End file.
